Field of the Invention
This relates generally to lanyards for handheld personal electronic devices, such as smart phones. More specifically it relates to simple multi-strand lanyards for use with smart phones, tablets, and other handheld electronic devices.
Description of Related Art
Handheld personal electronic devices such as smart phones, digital cameras, tablet computers, and the like are nearly ubiquitous. These devices have become increasingly small and lightweight, and yet contain fragile screens and electronics that can be damaged if the device is dropped. Many people use protective cases or covers in conjunction with their handheld devices to prevent such damage.
In the past, protective cases often included wrist straps, neck straps, or the like (collectively “lanyards”). In other cases the protective cases included attachment means allowing the user to connect/attach an after-market lanyard. Such attachment means could be as simple as a receiver that allowed the user to screw in a lanyard with a threaded end, or a place to hook a lanyard with an end adapted to hook to a device. However, as the later generation handheld devices have become lighter, smaller, and thinner, many case manufacturers have chosen to provide a light-weight case or cover with a thin profile so as not to add unwanted bulk or weight that may put off consumers wishing to maintain the thin profile and lightweight feel that the devices feature in the absence of a case.
Thus, many cases or covers for newer generation smart phones and other handheld devices do not include a lanyard, nor a means to attach a lanyard. Moreover, owners of handheld devices often are fond of their protective covers, which in many cases are personalized, so that merely changing to a different case or cover may not be an acceptable option. Unfortunately, despite the fact that handheld devices even with cases or covers may not feature a wrist strap or other lanyard, consumer still use them for their many possible functions including voice services, music, video applications, photography, location service (e.g. GPS), messaging service (e.g. SMS), social media, and more. As a result, owners of hand-held devices may accidentally drop their device causing damage, including broken screens, scratched lenses, electronic malfunction, water damage, or even complete physical loss (e.g. dropping the device into a body of water, or even into a bathtub or toilet, out of a moving vehicle, into an inaccessible area, theft, or forgetfulness).
There is a need for new and improved lanyards that are adapted to work with lightweight handheld digital devices with or without the cases and covers used to protect them.